Covering-thread-laying mechanism for sewing machines



June 17, 1930. w. M. HAN-NEMAN Filed Jan. 29, 1927 4 Sheets-Sheet gwuentoz June 17, 1930. w. M. HANNEMAN 1,765,150v

COVERING THREAD LAYING MECHANISM FOR SEWING MACHINES Filed Jan. 29, 1927 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Hvwn m l l I ll.------ i l l "L if" 3 I l l i Hu 6 l .11" l l 65 89 1% by l I V Il a June 17, 1930. w. M. HANNEMAN COVERING THREAD LAYING MECHANISM FOR SEWING MACHINES Filed Jan. 29, 1927 4 Sheets-Sheet June 17, 1930. 'w. M. HANNEMAN 1,765,150

COVERING THREAD LAYING MECHANISM FOR SEWING MACHINES Filed Jan. 29, 1927 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Y member on the actuating shaft.

Patented June 17, 1930 "UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WALT-ER. M. HANNEMAN, or OAK PARK, ILLINOIS,-ASSIGNOR TO UNION SPECIAL MACHINE COMPANY, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION or ILLINOIS COVERING-THREAD- LAYING-MECHANISM FOR SEWING MACHINES Application 'filed'J'anuary 29,1927. Serial No. 164,494.

The invention relates to new and useful improvements in covering .threa'd laying mechanism, and more particularly tothe actuating mechanism for the covering thread laying devices. 4 1 I An object of the invention is to provide an actuating mechanism for the covering thread laying devices of-a sewing machine, which is so constructed that the needle bar of the machine and the actuating devices may all be operated from a single eccentric Another object of-the invention isto pro vide an actuating mechanism for the covering thread laying devices, wherein said devices are operated by a shaft which supports a needle operating lever, said shaft being oscillated'with the lever. 1

A further object of the invention is to provide an actuatingniechanism for covering thread laying-devices, which also includes a vertical shaft housed inthe head carrying the needle bar.

A still further object of theinvention is to provide a machine of the above type wherein the covering thread laying devices include a hook and a guide for the covering thread, which hookand. guide are moved toward each other for forming aloop in the covering thread, and away from each other for releasing theloop'after' it is secured by the needles. 4

These and other objects will in part be obvious and will in part be hereinafter more fully disclosed.

Inthe drawings which show-by way of illustration one embodiment of the invention v Figure 1 is a view partly in section showing a portion of asewing machine embodying the improvements, the projecting housing for the needle bar beingshown in side elevation; I

- Fig. 2 is a view partly in plan and partly in section of the housing supporting the needle bar, with the cover plate removed to show the needle lever actuating device;

Fig. 3 is a view partly. in sectionxand partly in end elevation of the end of the the trimming members; also the end of the work supporting arm; I

Fig. 7 is a: view showing the thread laying devices with the thread hook positioned for engagement with the thread carried by the thread guide; r

Fig. 8 is an enlarged view showing diagrammatically and in plan, the needles, the

thread hook, the thread guide and the threads at the time when the loop in the covering thread is positioned for the needle to enter the loop;

Fig. 9 is a view showing in front eleva tion, diagrammatically, the parts as posit-ioned inFig. 8, and i ,Fig. 10 is a plan View showing diagram matically the seam produced by my. im-' proved covering thread laying mechanism,

theneedlcs being also shown in section.

The invention is directed to a covering thread laying mechanism for sewing machines, and particularly a machine having a plurality of needles, preferably three. This covering threadlaying mechanism includes a movable guidefor the covering thread and a movable hook which engages the covering thread and forms a loop therein. The hook and guide are operated by devices connected to a vertical shaft atthe rear of thehousing for the needle bar, and these connecting devices are so arranged that the hook and guide are moved toward each other for forming a loop in the covering thread, and positioning the same for the needles, so that one needle will enter the covering thread loop while the strand of the loop running on the main shaft, so that the crankon the.

neath the point of the needle and in rear of the path of the needle at the other side of the seam. This vertical shaft is located within the housing for the needle bar. It is operated from a shaft which supports the needle lever, and which in turn is actuated by the oscillations of the needle lever. The shaft carries an eccentric-member, preferably a crank, which is connected by a link to an'arm carried by the vertical shaft. The needle lever is actuated from the'crank main shaft performs directly the double function of reciprocating the needle bai and oscillating the thread laying devices. The covering thread laying device is preferably embodied in a machine havinga-suspended work supporting arm, which extends underneath alaterally projecting housing, at the free end of which-a needle bar reciprocates. This housing lies in aplaneextending at'right angles to the main shaft of the machine which is mounted at the upper end of a framesupporting said housing.

Referring more in detail to the drawings, my improved covering thread laying mechanism includes aguide 1 having an'eye 2 through which a covering thread is led. Associated with this'guide 1 is a hook 3 having a notched forward end 4. These covering devices operate in front of the needles of the machine The machine, as shown in the drawings, is provided with three needles, 5, 6 and 7. These needles are carried by a needle bar 8. r

The machine includes a main frame 9, at the upper portion of which is mounteda main sha t 10. The main shaft 10 is 1'0- tated by a belt wheel at one end thereof, and is provided with a hand wheel 11 whereby'it may be shifted by hand, when desired. The main shaft 10 is provided with a crank 12. The needle bar is reciprocated from this crank 12'by means of a lever 13. A

r link 14; cooperates with the crank 12 and is connected at 15 to therear end of the needle lever 13'. The needle lever- 13 intermediate its ends is mounted on a shaft 16, and is fixed'to the shaft. The shaft 16 is journa-led insuitable bearings 17 formed in a housing 18 which is carriedby the frame 9 and projects laterally therefrom in adirection substantially at right angles 'to the axis ofthe main shaft 10. The needle bar 8 reciprocates in the outer end ofthis housing. The needle lever 13 is located in this housing. The outer end of the lever 13 is connected by a link 19 to a lug 20 on the needle barS. Thus it is that as the main shaft rotates, the needle bar will be reciprocated, and atthe same time, the shaft 16 which supports the needle lever will be oscillated... Y I

The covering thread guide 1 which carries the covering thread 0 is provided with a shank 21 which is mounted'in a sleeve 22 depending from a lever arm 23.

bolt 25 so that the lever arm swings about a vertical axis. Mounted in the housing 18 is av rtical shaft 26. This vertical shaft 26 is provided with a sleeve 27 carrying a laterally projecting arm 28, and the arm 28 is The lever arm is pivoted to a bracket 24 by a plvot connected by alink 29 with the lever arm 23. V

Said connection'between the link 29 and the lover arm 23 is, of course, eccentric to the vertical axis on which the lever arm 23 oscillates. 'VVhen the vertical shaft 26 oscillates in a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 7, the lever arm 23 will also be oscillated in a clockwise direction, and, the thread guide l'moved away from the needles to its extreme outer position. r

The thread hook 3 is carried by a vertical shank 30 which is mounted in a depending member 31 carried by a lever. arm 32. This lever arm 32 is secured by a pivotbolt 33 to the bracket 24, and the bracket 2 is secured by suitable bolts to the housing 18' in whichthe needle 'bar reciprocates. The

sleeve 27 is provided with a second projecting arm 34, and this arm 84: is-conneeted by V a link 35 with the inner end of the lever arm 32. It willbe'noted that the lever arm 32is-a lever of the first order, and its fulcrum point is intermediate its ends. The lever arm 23 has its connection with the link 29 and its connection with the thread guide,

both on the same side of the fulcrum point therefor. As a result, When the vertical shaft 26 moves in a clockwise direction as above stated, it will also move the hook3 to its extreme outer position. In other words, the oscillation of the vertical shaft 26, in one direction, will move thehook and guide away from each other, or to their outer extreme positions, and the oscillation of the shaft in the opposite direction will move the hook andguide toward each other or to the inner extremes of their oscillations.

.'The shaft 26 is provided with a projecting arm 36 carrying a ball stud on the outer end thereof. The shaft 16 is provided with a crank oreccentrically set member- 37 having a ball stud on the outer end thereof. A link 38 joins the-ball stud on the shaft with the ball stud on the arm 36. \Vhen" the shaft 16 is oscillated, it will, through said link 38, oscillate the vertical shaft.

When the cranlc12 rotates, it oscillates the V and also for the covering thread laying devices, is all housed and. enclosed.

The thread of the needle 5 is indicated at n, the thread of the needle 6 is indicated at a, and the thread of the needle Tis indicated at 11 The three needles are set abreast, and a' single threaded looper cooperates with. the needles beneath the work support. The direction of feed is indicated byythe arrows in Figures 8 and 10. The Covering thread guide and the hook associated therewith oscillate in' front of the needles. The hook oscillates in a plane beneath the guide and-is timed so as to engage the covering thread between. the guide and the connection of the thread to the previous concatenated loops, and forms a loop in the covering thread. It will be noted, as viewed in Figures 8' and 9, that this loop formed in the covering thread is so positioned when the hook is at the forward end'of its stroke, that the:- strand 0 of said loop is located in rearof the paths of the needles 5,v 6 and 7. The strandc ofthis loop ,in thecovering thread extending from the hook to the guide is carried against. the needle, 5, and beneath the points and in rear of the paths of the needles 6 and 7. The points of the needles are set .atdiffe'rent heights to permit this to be accomplished. The needle 5 becomes, in effect, a post against which. this strand is carried, and deflects the strand so as to insure the strand being positionedrelative to the needle paths, as stated; This using of one of the needles as a post against which the strand of the covering thread is laid for insuring the proper positioning of the covering thread loop is not broadly my invention, but is shown and described in the application of Charles F. Rubel, filed January 29, 1927, Serial No. 164,508.

In the present embodiment of the invention, the covering thread laying mechanism is used in a machine which is especially adapted for joining the edge portions of knit fabrics, and to this end, the machine is provided with a trimming mechanismineluding a stationary trimming blade 40and a reciprocating trimming blade 41. -This reciprocating blade is carried by an arm 42 which is connected to a sleeve 43 mounted on the presser bar 44. The sleeve 43 moves up and down with the presser bar, but has a slight movement independently thereof so that a spring 45 pressing againstthe upper end of the sleeve willhold the movable blade in yielding shearing contact with the stationary blade. The sleeve 43 is provided with an arm 46, and this arm 46 is connected by a link 47 to an arm 48 on the vertical shaft 26. This link 47 is enclosed within the housing for the needle bar.

It will be noted, therefore, that the crank on the main shaft not only reciprocates the needle bar and oscillates the covering thread Letters Patent, is

combination of a needle bar, a

able trimming blade. This makes a very simple arrangement of the mechanism for I actuating these partsv carried by the head of the machine; It also provides a mechanism which is completely housed and covered. A presser foot- 49 is mounted on the lower end of the presser bar 44. This presser foot carriesthe stationary blade 40, and is provided with a guiding slot 50 throughwhich the upturned edge portions of the fabric sections to be united are guided. The trimming mechanism trims elf these edge portions, and they are then turned down into overlapped relation to each other as clearly shown in Fig. 10, where one fabric sect-ion isfindicated at f, and the other at f. The lapping-of the fabric sections is within the limits of the covering stitches, and the raw edge of the upper lapped section is covered by the loopsformed in the covering thread. Inasmuch as the loop end of the covering thread. is at the side of the seam where this cut edge of the fabric section f is located, it will broaden, out so as to more effectively cover the raw edge of the material.

The machine illustrated, is particularly adapted for stitching tubular garments. The material. is placed about the work supporting arm 51 whichiscylindrical in shape. This arm is preferably suspended from the frame in which the main shaft is mounted, and the arm, as stated above, terminates bencaththe housing 18 so that the needle bar reciprocates at the free endof the arm. The arm is provided with a feeding mechanism which feeds the material off the end of the arm, and is also providedwith the threaded looper which cooperateswith the needles. I

It is obvious that minor changes in the details-of construction and the arrangement of the parts may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what I? claim new and desire tosecure by 1. The plurality of needles carried thereby, a'needle lever forreciprocatin g said bar, a shaft fixed to and supporting said lever, means for oscillating said lever and for oscillating said shaft from said lever, covering' thread laying devices, an eccentric on the end of said shaft, and means operated thereby for actuating said thread laying devices.

2 The combination of'a needle bar, a plurality of needles carried thereby, a needle lever for reciprocating said bar, a shaft fixed to and supporting said lever, means for oscillating said lever and for oscillating said shaft from said lever, covering thread laying devices, an eccentric on the end of said shaft, and means operated thereby for actuatlng said thread laying devices, said means for actuatin the lever including a shaft U Q having a crank therein an d a hnk connecting the crank to the end of said lever.

' r 3. The combination of a needle bar, a plurality of needles carried thereby, a needle to and supporting; said lever, means for.

oscillating said lever and for oscillating said shaft from said lever, covering thread laying' devices, an eccentric on the end of said shaft, means operated thereby for actuating said thread laying devices, said thread laydevices including an oscillating thread guide and an oscillating thread hook, and said devices being so constructed to move said guide and hook toward each other on one oscillation of from each other thereof. y

The combination of a frai'ne, a main shaft located at the upper end of the frame, a housing projecting outwardly from said frame, a needle bar reciprocating in said housing, a plinrality of needles carried by on the other oscillation said needle ca-r, needle lever located in said housing; and actuated from said main shaft for reciprocating the needle bar, a shaft sup porting said needle lever and oscillating therewith, a covering thread. guide mounted at the outer end of said housing for oscillation, a covering thread hook mounted on said housing for oscillation, and devices actuated by the shaft supporting the needle lever for operating said thread hook and said thread 6. The combination of a frame a main shaft located at the upper end of the frame, a housing projecting outwardly from said frame, a needle bar reciprocating in said housing, a plurality of needles carried by said needle bar, a needle lever located in said-housi g and actuated'from said main shaft for reciprocating the needle bar, a

shaft supporting said needle lever and oscil lating therewith, a covering thread guide mounted t the outer end of said housing for oscillation, a covering thread hook mounted on said housing for oscillation, devices actuated by the shaft supporting the operating said thread hook and said thread vices including a vertical shaft mounted in the needle lever and away guide, said last-named de-.

the upper end of said housing, a crank on the end of the shaft supporting the needle lever, an arm on said vertlcal shaft, and a link connecting the crank to said arm.

7. The combination of afraine, a main shaft located at the upper end of the frame, a housing projecting outwardly from sald frame, a needle bar reciprocating 1n said housing, a plurality ,of needlesccarried by said needle bar, a needle lever located in said housing and actuated'from said main shaft for rec1procat1ng the needle bar, a shaft supporting said needle lever and oscillating therewith, a covering thread guide mounted at the outer end of said housingfor oscillation, a covering thread hook mounted on said housing for oscillation, devices actuated by vthe shaft supporting the needle lever for operating said thread hook. and said thrca d guide, said last-named devices including a vertical shaft mounted in the upper end of said housing, a'crank on the end of the shaft supporting the needle lever, an arm on said vertical shaft,a link connecting the crank to said arm, and a cover plate for coveringithe crank and operatinglink for said vertical shaft.

In testimony whereof, I affix mysignature.

,l VALTER M. HANNEMAN. 

